Global software company SAP has signed a deal with the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) as it refurbishes its stock in a move that will directly create 65 000 jobs, and indirectly cut down on train collisions.
Earlier this month, there was a train crash near Attridgeville, Pretoria, involving two Metrorail trains, leading to 150 injuries, which the Democratic Alliance says highlighted "a number of problems" within Prasa.
One of the key issues is a lack of adequate internal safety procedures, said the political party. The trains were apparently running on manual point and communication systems, after cables were stolen.
However, SAP says its deal with Prasa to revamp its ICT infrastructure and enhance its existing railway network will indirectly aid the entity in cutting down on collisions. Prasa is also introducing a rolling stock fleet renewal programme to replace old trains that are in a state of disrepair.
As part of the overall project, an estimated 7 224 new modern coaches are planned for production in SA over the next 20 years, promoting local manufacturing and creating an estimated 65 000 jobs in the country.
Better management
Prasa has started implementing a range of SAP passenger travel solutions that run on a single technology platform using a consolidated technical infrastructure for railways and bus services functions such as finance, logistics, resources and maintenance, says SAP.
The benefits include improved and enhanced logistics management through automation of key business operations and functions including asset management, supply chain management, human resources and compliance; resulting in a more integrated, transparent, flexible and actionable view of all business operations.
Zach van der Walt, SAP Africa's industry solution principal, says the SAP passenger rail roadmap will aid Prasa in dealing with asset management and IT support. The services include financial management, asset performance and asset maintenance.
"Asset reliability, availability, and maintainability are critical areas requiring constant attention and ongoing improvement," says Van der Walt. He adds that Prasa will have tools to plan maintenance and real-time monitoring information.
Van der Walt says the technology will indirectly cut down on train incidents as it will enable Prasa to improve asset performance in terms of track, signalling and rolling stock, which will lead to it having the right number of trains at the right time, and in the right condition.
SAP provides an integrated solution for the entire asset management value chain from engineering and technical asset management, to maintenance operations, parts and tools management, and service management, says Van der Walt.
"South African commuters will benefit from a transport system that is built on an excellent infrastructure - one that is on time, reliable and safer to use. The objective is to ensure the rail system operation remains up and running with fewer interruptions and an improved customer experience," says SAP.
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